Pet update

On Saturday we welcomed a young pup, Zealand, into our family. He is 3/4 poodle and 1/4 golden retriever and he comes from near Fryeburg, New Hampshire. He is 9 weeks old today and is fully of energy and awe for the world. Needless to say we aren't getting as much sleep as we should! The cats are also re-learning what it's like to have a share their house and owners with a dog.

Mount Moosilauke

Mount Moosilauke is one of the 4000 footers in the White Mountains that we have been eager to climb.  It is situated on the western edge of the White Mountains and is a favorite summit for hikers for the 360 degree views which include the Green Mountains of Vermont and the Adirondacks in New York.

Plans to climb "The Moose" on April 23rd had been in the making for several months and were hoping for a clear day so we could make the most of the views.  After several days of clouds and rain we woke to a clear day with temperatures predicted to reach the low 60's by late morning.

We approached the summit from the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge using the Gorge Brook Trail.  The trail surface was packed snow and we found microspikes helpful for the entire ascent. Plenty of others were in boots but watching them slip and slide made us thankful for our 'spikes.

We arrive at the summit in full sunshine and were rewarded with the views we had heard so much about from fellow hikers.   We enjoyed a leisurely lunch at the top while we chatted with a few other seasoned hikers.  We were amused by a few novice hikers who showed up in tank tops and shorts that were incredulous over the 4-5' of snow still clinging to the summit.

We descended via the Carriage Road, and connected back to the Gorge Brook Trail using the Snapper Trail.  By early afternoon the snow had softened and we were happy to have snowshoes for the descent.  We were speeding past others in boots and microspikes and leaving the trail in good conditions.

Hiking in Evans Notch: Blueberry Hill

On Saturday April 22,  March for Science and Earth Day, we were in Fryeburg Maine visiting with our 5-week old puppy.  Since we were so close to the Evan's Notch area we decided to hike to Blueberry Mountain.  We have wanted to hike in the Evan's Notch area for sometime.  It is a bit of a drive from our Chalet in Intervale.  Also, many hikes in Evan's Notch  are inaccessible in the winter, and still were on this day in April.  However, the trail to Blueberry was accessible and was an obvious choice for the day.  

We fueled up with coffee in Stow, ME at the General Store. You can't miss it, it is right in the center of town.  The coffee was fresh, the proprieter friendly and the baked goods tempting.  At the trail head, which was still under a little snow we set off with our microspikes and a light lunch in our packs.. We never needed the microspikes but the lunch was welcome at the summit wich afforded views of trees within a 10ft range.  

Although the day wasn't as clear as we hoped, there was a lot to keep us interested at low level, streams, rocky ledges and a gorge that was full with rushing waters from snow and ice melt at higher elevations.  The large pool at the end of the gorge was beautiful and would be a great place for a swim on a warmer day.  We plan to make a return trip in the summer on a clear day with a puppy who would love a swim!